St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-02
Further Details of the Great Plot to Turn
Loose the Confederate Sol
diers,
Who We're Confined in Northern Prisons
and Turn the Tide of Desperate
Fortune.
JAKE Thompson's Canadian Confer
ences With Judge Black on the
Situation.
secretary Stanton Said to Have Been
Pr1Yy to Some of the Arrange
mentS.

diy uuliluer Oh the Southern Blyouac Will
contain second paper ON The Northwest
ern Conspiracy" In this the writer devotes
much space to narrative of the efforts
oy JACOB thompson, especial commissioner
OF the Confederate states in Canada" in
The summer Ut 1864, with view to inter-
estlng prominent men of the North in the
furtherance OF peace policy. and this fail
ing 10 create diSsension and disuniOn in
the Northwest. The Northern man to 90
10 toronto to confer with him personally,
was Judge Jeremiah S. Black. Judge
Black was anxious to find some plan
which would lead to peace, but his
task was fruitless. Thompson was also in
communication with VaIiandigham. who
was at this time in Canada. Vailandg-
ham explained to Thompson the character
OF the secret society Sons of Liberty" of
which he was grand commander. He as
sured him that the order was ia all 800. 900
strong. There were IS, members, he
said. in Illinois. SO, 900 in Indiana and 49,
600 in Ohio. The order owed its existence,
it is claimed, to an apprehension that the
progress of events was leading to military
despotism, against which it was necessar Y
TO ORGANIZE AND ARM.
1.-The members of this association" the
writer says. mad no personal sym patty with
| the coRfederates at all. They desired that
| the war should cease They did not believe
in the constitutional right OF coercion, and
! thought it unwiSe and harsh. But they
deprecated, if they did not condemn secession
! They had no wish to see the South successful
| by armed superiority: and while they wanted
the feueral armies withdrawn from the South
ern territory there were few of them who
would have contributed In any way to a con-
| federate victory, or wished disaster to the
| Union armies in the field. We very soon dis
| covered that this was the temper of these
people, and found it necessary to keep that
! tact in mind in all our dealings
with them. There seemed to be a
| hope on the part of some members of the
| ORDER however, and it was a frequent topic
| OF discussion OF establishing a separate con-
| federacy of Northwestern states: but the
! great majority. so far as the confederate
| commissioners could discover the real and
| preponderant Feelings. were animated, not
| outstanding their Jealousy and dislike of the
| general authority, by strong desire to see
| the Union restored as it was. Thompson and
| his fellow commissioners endeayored in every
| way possible to foster the idea OF a North
| western confederacy to act in concert with
| the South. The writer denies that jeff Davis
| was member Of the order or had an, thing
| to do with drawing up its constitu-
! ton. Extracts from the declaration of
principles are given as follows: ''Th e
| constitution of the United States of America.
! it was shown, was formed only for the pur-
poses therein distinctly declared and speci-
! lied. and the government thereby created was
/ endowed by the states action in their several
| capacities OF
FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES,
| with powers sufficient to the accomplishment
| of these purposes and other; powers
not delegated to that government being by the
| letter OF the compact expressly reserved TO
| the states or to the people respectively. Sow
ereignty resides in and with the people of the
| states which arp tO he
| constitution of the United States. 1t cannot
be a1enated, neither can it be dele
gated. Some Of its powers may
| be exercised by delegated authority,
while others cannot be so exercised except at
| the sacrifice, on the part of the constitution,
| OF all that lends dignity to mans govern
| ment. The government designated the
| United States of America has no sovereignty
| because that is an attribute belonging TO the
people in their respective state organizations,
| and with which they dare not endow that
government as common agent. 1t was by
| the terms of the compact constituted by the
| states. through the express will of the peo-
| pie thereof delegated to such common
tain specified and limited powers.
1t was authorized, so far as regards its
status and relations as a common agent in
| the exercise of the powers carefully and
! jealousy delegated, to call itself supreme,
| but not sovereign supremacy. As plainly in
| tended by the tenor and spirit of article II of
| the constitution. it was created defined and
limited by the sovereignties themselves. In
| accordance with
| THESE PRINCIPLES
| the federal government can exercise only
| delegated powers. Hence. if those who shall
| have been chosen to administer that govern
| ment shall assume to exercise powers which
| have not been delegated, they should be
| regarded and dealt with as usurpers. All
| power besides in the people, and is delegated
| n 90
of the commonwealth. Whenever the officials
| to whom the people have intrusted the pow
| ers of government shall refuse to administer
| it in strict accord with the constitution, but
shall assume and exercise the power and
authority delegated, it is the inherent right
and imperative duty of the people to resist
such officials, and if need be, expel them by
| force of arms Such resistance is not revo-
| luton, out is solely the assumption of right
| Here follows narrative of the negotia-
tons between them, with view to
| the concerted uprising of the "Sons
| of Liberty. The Goth of July was fixed as
| the date for outspoken resistance, but as
the time drew near conference of dele
gates met at Chicago and decided to post
! pOne action until Aug, 16. There were
| further postp0nements, so that the decisive
| step was never taken. The article closes
| with
THE FOLLOWING LETTER:
| Hon. John Slidell, Minister to France, Hon.
]. NJ. Mason, Minister to Great Britain
| Gentlemen: In my last, accompanied by the
| Hon. G. G. Clay, of Alabama, / was duly COM
| missioned by the president of the Confeder-
| ate states, provided with funds and instructed
| to proceed to Canada without de-
! lay and ascertain the pubic sentiment
! and the feeling of the people of the United
| States, and, so far as practicable and honora-
| BILE, to utilize the prejudices existing against
| the conduct of the war for the advancement
| of the interests of the Confederate states. At
Montreal we had various conferences with
| representative men of the North, with view
to forming in the outcome basis which
| should govern our opinion as the best course
to pursue thereafter.
GRANT WAS ADVANCING
on Richmond, and the papers of the North
contended that the battles of Spottsylvania
the Wilderness and Cold Harbor were victo-
ries. and that Grants mastery flank move
ments would eventually result in destroying
Lees army in front of Richmond; that Sher-
man was advancing Atlanta with suffi-
Gent force, and that he would eventually de-
feat Johnston in Georgia. Thus, animated
| by successful military movements, reason
able confidence in the currency of the United
States, and the influence of people
found in the Northern and Eastern states
who habitually make money out of wars, all
favored the contests continued prescott on.
All things considered, the result OF the con-
ferences we held at Montreal led US to believe
: that Lincoln would be reelected overwhelm-
! ingy, and thus there would be continued the
present policy IF the administration for four
years more. In disbursement l went to
Windsor. where an arrangement had been
made with Hon. Clement L. Vaandigham,
who expressed the opinion of the people of
the United States that if Grant failed before
Richmond. and Sherman was not successful
in Georgia, president might be nominated
and elected Inv